Holder for paint cans and the like



Oct. 29, 1963 K. 1.. COOK HOLDER FOR PAINT CANS AND THE LIKE Fild Feb. 16, 1961 United States Patent 3,lti-,'776 HQLDER FQR PAINT CANS AND THE LlKl". Kenneth L. (Jock, 1345 Marie Hay Road, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Feb. 16, 1951, Sea. Na. 89,877 2 Claims. (til. 248-210) This invention relates to a holder by means of which a paint can or like container, when open and in use, can be supported at any elevation on a ladder tor easy access by a person working on the ladder.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel holder for supporting a paint can on a ladder.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a holder capable of securely supporting a paint can in a substantially vertical position on a ladder, and which is readily disengageable from the ladder for subsequent engagement therewith at a difierent elevation while remaining secured to the paint can.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a paint can holder capable of the above-mentioned objectives which is of a simple, practical and economical construction.

These objects, and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following desoription :taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the paint can holder of this invention shown in engagement with a ladder, and with a paint can supported by the holder shown in phantom for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the paint can holder, shown in engaged relation with the ladder rungs, and with a fragment of the paint can supported thereby, certain parts of the paint can shown in section for illustrative clarity; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the holder of the present invention is indicated generally at it) in FIG. 1 and is adapted to be supported on a pair of vertically spaced adjacent rungs 11 and :12 of a ladder 13. When in use, the holder It is capable of securely supporting a paint can 14, shown in phantom in FIG. 1 between the stiles 16 of the ladder and in a substantially vertical and level position when the stiles 16 are leaned against the side 17 of the building to be painted.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the paint can holder comprises a generally L-shaped strap 18, a U-shaped clamp 19, and a locking unit 21 for holding the clamp i9 tightly against the strap 18. Both the strap 13 and the clamp 12 are preferably of fiat aluminum stock although other material can be used.

Specifically, the strap 18 includes a curved upper portion 22 (FIG. 2) having an inverted U-shape so as to be adapted to hook over a rung 1 1; and includes further a straight, elongated intermediate portion 23 adapted, when the upper portion 22 is hooked in place on the rung 11, to depend vertically from the rung ll. The intermediate portion 23 is of a length so that its lower end 24 is either on a level with or slightly below the top of the lower adjacent rung 12. Extended outwardly from the lower end 24 is a reversely curved lower portion 26 having a U-shape and adapted to hook tightly over the rung 12.

To obtain a snug fit of the curved lower portion 26 (FIG. 2) of the strap 18 on the rung .12, the free leg 27 of the portion 26 is bent slightly toward the other leg 28 so that the opening 29 formed between the legs 27 and 28 has a width slightly less than the diameter of the rung 12. It is noted, by referring particularly to FIG. 2, that the inverted U-shaped upper portion 22 of the strap 18 ice faces downwardly when in use and in a direction substantially normal to the direction in which the U-shaped lower portion 26 rfaces. Putting it another way, the recesses formed by the respective reversely curved portions 22 and 26 face in directions substantially perpendicular to each other. The reason for this arrangement is to prevent the holder lit) from slipping oil the rungs 1'1 and 12 except when removed by hand. Thus the holder ltl cannot move vertically due to the horizontally disposed legs 27 and 28 of the lower portion 26, and the holder 10 cannot move horizontally due to the vertically disposed legs 31 and 32 ('FIG. 2) of the upper portion 22.

The clamp 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3) has a width equivalent to the width of the strap 18 and includes an elongated base 33 with spaced, parallel legs 34 and as of equal length. An internally threaded opening 37 (FIG. 3) is formed centrally in the base 33 and is alignable with a threaded opening 38 formed in the intermediate portion 23- of the strap 18 adjacent the upper portion 22. A headed screw 39 is insertable through both openings 37 and 38 and with the head 41 fitted into a countersunk hole 42 (FIG. 3) in the strap 18. At the other end 43 of the screw 39, a washer 44- and a coil spring 4-6 are mounted and which are held against the base 33 by a wing nut 47 threaded on the screw 39 so as to force the clamp 19 against the upper end of the intermediate portion 23.

In use, the holder 10 is placed on the ladder '13 by first hooking the upper portion 22 over any one ofthe rungs, for example rung :11, and then swinging the lower portion '26 into engagement with the next adjacent rung 12 below the rung 11. As mentioned hereinbefore, the engagement of the rung 12 with the lower portion 26 is a force fit, although this is not critical, and it is to be remembered that the arrangement of the intermediate portion 23 and the upper leg 27 of the lower portion 26 is such that the intermediate portion 23 is disposed sub stantially vertically. This, of course, depends on the angle of inclination of the ladder 13 with the building side 17' and can therefore be changed. Irrespective, however of the angle at which the ladder 13 is placed, the angular relationship between the intermediate portion 23 and the upper leg 27 is one of substantially a right angle.

With the wing nut 47 backed oil from the screw head 41, so that the spring 46 is not under compression, the clamp L9 can be rotated about the screw 39 ninety degrees from the full line position of FIG. 2 to the dotted line position, also shown in FIG. 2. The paint can !14 can then be placed with its bottom 48 on top of the upper leg 28 and with a portion of its side wall 49 flat against the fiat surface of the intermediate portion 213 so as to assurne a nested relationship with the strap 18. Theclamp 19 is then moved outwardly toward the wing nut 47 so ficiently so thatone leg 36, for example, will clear the lip 5 1 of the paint can 14 upon rotation of the clamp 19 to a position where the leg 36 is below the lip 5'1 and extended into the interior of the paint can :14. The clamp 19 is then pushed into the full line position of FIG, 2 whereby the leg 36 extends underneath the lip 51 and contacts the inside of the paint can side 49. By threading the wing nut 47 on the screw 39, until the spring 46 is completely compressed, the clamp 19 holds the paint can 14 securely and immovably against the intermediate portion 23 of the strap 18.

It will be appreciated that due to the particular configuration of the strap 1-8 as mentioned hereinbefore, the ladder 13 can be moved without disturbing the position of the holder 10, and as the paint can be secured to the holder it), movement of the ladder 13 does not disturb the position of the paint can 14. Should it be desirable to move the paint can 14 to a different pair of rungs, one need merely grasp the combined holder iii and paint snoeme can 14 (.FIG. 2) and manipulate them as a unit, first in a pivoting movement about the upper rung 11 so as to rotate the lower portion 26 out of engagement with the lower rung 12, and secondly in a lifting movement so as to remove the upper portion 22 from the upper rung 11. The re-engagement of the holder it and the paint can 14, as a unit, with the ladder 13 is just the reverse of the removal steps. To remove the paint can 14 from the holder 10, the wing nut 47 is merely loosened on the screw 39 far enough to permit the clamp 19 to be backed off sufiiciently to clear the paint can lip 51 when being rotated to the dotted line position of FIG. 2. The paint can -14- can then be lifted off or separated from the holder -10.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a simple but rugged and eifective holder has been provided for supporting an open paint can or any like container at any desired elevation on the rungs of a ladder, that by this arrangement the contents of the paint can may be easily reached by the painter, and that the ladder together with the holder and the paint can attached thereto may be moved with ordinary care without danger of spilling the paint.

Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed herein, alterations and modifications can be made thereto within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holder for supporting a container at different elevations on the rungs of a ladder comprising, supporting means forming a pair of recesses facing in directions substantially normal to each other for hooking over adjaoent rungs, said supporting means having a portion with a flat surface intermediate said recesses, against which said flat surface the container is adapted to lie, and clamp- A. ing means operative-connected to said supporting means and having spaced legs one of which is adapted to engage an interior surface of the container and the other of which is adapted to engage said flat surface, whereby said clamping means is operable to clamp the container against said supporting means.

2. A paint can holder adapted to be supported at difilerent elevations on the rungs of a ladder and between the stiles thereof comprising, an elongated L-shaped strap curved at one end to form a first recess facing in one direction, and cunved at the other end to form a second recess facing in a direction substantially normal to the direction of saidfirst recess, the remainder of said strap comprising a straight portion extended intermediate said curved ends, a threaded element secured to said intermediate portion adjaoent one curved end and extended substantially normal to the plane of said intermediate portion, a U-shaped member the base of which has an opening therein whereby said member is insertable on said element and with the spaced legs of said member adapted to engage said intermediate portion, and resilient means movably mounted on said element for forcing said member toward said intermediate portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,511 Winn Oct. 6, 1914 1,178,965 Stroecker Apr. 11, 1916 2,308,805 Dahl Jan. 13, 1943 2,524,875 Beaver Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 733,181 Great Britain July 6, 1955 

1. A HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING A CONTAINER AT DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS ON THE RUNGS OF A LADDER COMPRISING, SUPPORTING MEANS FORMING A PAIR OF RECESSES FACING IN DIRECTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO EACH OTHER FOR HOOKING OVER ADJACENT RUNG, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A PORTION WITH A FLAT SURFACE INTERMEDIATE SAID RECESSES, AGAINST WHICH SAID FLAT SURFACE THE CONTAINER IS ADAPTED TO LIE, AND CLAMPIN MEANS OPERATIVE-CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND HAVING SPACED LEGS ONE OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE CONTAINER AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FLAT SURFACE, WHEREBY SAID CLAMPING MEANS IS OPERABLE TO CLAMP THE CONTAINER AGAINST SAID SUPPORTING MEANS. 